Sunday, 5 February 2012

Day out at IMATS London 2012

Braved the sub-zero temperature in London this morning to attend IMATS at Alexandra Palace. My husband's eyebrows leapt to the ceiling when I told him last night that the plan was to wake up at 6am so that we could be there at 8.30am. He accompanied me there to make sure that I didn't get lost as we had to take three different buses to get to the venue, and then made the one hour journey home while I took my time exploring the trade show. On the third bus, I spotted Charlotte of Lipglossiping, but was too shy to say hello, to my regret! It was my first time ever at an IMATS show, so I was looking very much forward to it after having read so much about the previous shows around the world. Upon arriving around the opening time of 8.30am, I was able to pick up my entry bracelet very quickly. The event was held inside a large, airy hall. There was usually plenty of room to move around without feeling congested. The MAC stand before the crowds descended. Inglot had one of the largest booths. Illamasqua was probably the most crowded booth, even more so than MAC. Sleek did not have any new i-Divine palettes on offer, which was a bit of a disappointment for me. At Make-up Atelier Paris, I was actually standing next to Gossmakeupartist but didn't manage to work up the courage to say hello. He is the only makeup artist that I watch regularly on Youtube, and it was just surreal seeing him in real life. Bdellium ToolsObsessive Compulsive CosmeticsMake Up For EverHakuhodo brushes, where I splurged the most. After playing with the Hakuhodo brushes, the brushes by other brands just felt so much less plush and soft in comparison. Crown BrushesRoyal & Langnickel brushes. Velour lashes made of 100% mink. These were retailing between £10-£20 for a pair that can be re-used up to 20 times. It was great fun walking around watching the various makeup demonstrations, which ranged from incredibly intricate body paint done by air brushing to special effects makeup of the monster variety. All in all, it was a splendid experience. My only regret is that I was too shy to say hello to Gossmakeupartist and also Charlotte of Lipglossiping. Hope you enjoyed the pictures!

Thanks so much posting this. I toyed with the idea of going but finally decided against it since I'm in the middle of a project. I wish I had. But at least I got to enjoy it vicariously through your blog :-). Perhaps next year I'll go.

Oh wow, you're so lucky to be able to travel to IMATS! Maybe, only maybe sometime in the near future I'd love to go to an IMATS! It looks sooo great, so much products in one place and watching artists at work must have been spectacular! Do post more photos if you've got more!

Wow! Do post a picture of what you bought! Are the items at trade show prices, or are they at normal retail prices? Would have loved to go! Alexandra Palace, where the IMATS is held, was built in the 1800s and is a listed historical building. Beautiful place. :)